Secrets
by Aurora Ciel
Summary: Nathan finds something in the trash can that causes him to question how well he really knows his daughter. Peter/Claire


**Title: **Secrets  
**Author: **Aurora Ciel  
**Rating: **PG-13, maybe light R  
**Characters/Pairings: **Peter/Claire, Nathan/Heidi  
**Summary: **Nathan finds something in the trash can that causes him to question how well he really knows his daughter.  
**Warnings: **Canon incest, underage sexuality  
**Spoilers: **Season One  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Heroes _or its characters.  
**Author's Note: **Takes place after Season One. What _should _have happened in Season Two. Oh well, there's still hope for Season Three…

- - - - -

Despite his political background and family history, Nathan is unsuspecting when he finds _it_. Never mind that he happens to come across it when he slips into the kids' bathroom to pick up the toys Monty left on the floor last night after his bath. He grabs the slippery action figures and various toy cars, dumping them in the basket kept under the sink, when he catches a flash of pink in his peripheral vision.

He dismisses it for a second before leaning in closer to look at it. Stuck behind the toilet is a small cardboard box. With shaky hands, Nathan reaches out to bring it into the light. Even without reading the lettering, he knows what it is. The actual test stick is gone, meaning it must be positive. Immediately he wonders why his wife didn't tell him she thought she might be pregnant.

The box is tucked inside his briefcase. Heidi doesn't wake up until after he leaves for work, so he decides to talk to her when he gets back. He slips back into their bedroom, giving her a final kiss on the forehead and stroking her hair once before heading out to face the political world and all the drama that comes with it.

All day long he's distracted. He's supposed to be going over a speech he'll be giving sometime next week but all he can think about is that little box sitting ominously in his briefcase. A receptionist walks around the hallway, a young toddler holding her hand. She introduces him as her son and Nathan suddenly can't tear his eyes away from the small child.

He thinks back to when Simon and Monty were young, smiles at all the fond memories. But he feels a pang of guilt when he remembers that all his memories of Claire begin with her showing up in his living room at age sixteen and saving his baby brother's life.

Sitting back in his chair, he can't help but wonder what it would be like to have a little girl running around the house.

- - - - -

When he comes home, Nathan can hardly wait to talk to Heidi. She's helping Monty with his science fair project when he finds her, so he decides to wait until after dinner. This is a private matter, one that they don't need to let the rest of the family in on just yet. As he pours himself a glass of scotch in the kitchen, he watches his wife. He tries to see some kind of sign that she is indeed with child.

The front door opens and Monty runs to answer it, yelling to greet his uncle as he makes his way over. The minute they're alone in the kitchen, Nathan takes a step towards Heidi. She's humming softly to herself as she puts the finishing touches on the Paper Mache volcanic eruption.

"Heidi, I—"

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," Peter says as he walks through the doorway, shaking out his wet hair. "It's pouring buckets out there."

Monty giggles when the water droplets spray him as he passes his uncle, racing back to the kitchen table. Nathan frowns; so much for a private moment.

Angela walks in the kitchen with a towel in hand. She scowls at her youngest as she hands it to him, "Peter, you're ruining my new floors." He gives her that half-grin of his that always made girls go weak in the knees, yet Peter never seemed to notice. Nathan snorts, the kid always did have his head in the clouds.

"Alright everyone," Angela says, "Dinner is ready. Where is Claire?"

Heidi doesn't look up as she cleans up the table. "Um, in her room? She's been pretty quiet for the past couple of days…"

"I'll go get her," Peter volunteers.

He turns to go but gets sidestepped by a four foot blur. "Way ahead of you!" Monty shouts as his feet pound against the stairs.

Nathan hopes to catch Heidi after everyone clears out to the dining room, but she's already walking with away with Angela. He sighs; since when was it so hard to get a minute alone with his own wife?

- - - - -

Dinner seems to last for hours, but finally it comes to an end. Claire volunteers to get the boys ready for their baths, while Peter and his mother head into the study. As soon as they're alone, Nathan grabs Heidi and leads her into his office.

Grabbing her by the arm, he brings her to sit on the sofa in the corner. "Heidi, is there something you want to tell me?" He tries in vain to hide his grin; wants to give her the pleasure of telling him about their next child.

Much to his surprise, Heidi only furrows her eyebrows and tilts her head a bit. "What are you talking about?"

Nathan smiles a little, thinks she's playing hard to get. He grabs her hands in his and scoots closer so their knees brush against each other. His thumb brushes across the back of her hand, "Come on, Heidi, I found the box in the bathroom."

"Nathan," Heidi says firmly, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

He blinks. "But…I found…the box…"

"What box?"

He rushes over to his desk and pulls the box out of his briefcase. When Heidi's eyebrows shoot up, Nathan knows something is going on. She hesitantly takes it from him, running her fingers over the lettering on it.

"A…pregnancy test? You—you thought I was pregnant?"

Scratching the back of his throat, he clears his throat. "Well…I—I mean…you're not pregnant?"

Heidi bites the side of her lip as she shakes her head no, "Nathan, this isn't even my test…"

Frowning, he leans back into the sofa. "But then…whose…"

Suddenly her eyes go wide, "Where did you say you found it?"

"The kids' bathroom…" Nathan sits up so quickly he sees stars for a moment. "CLAIRE!"

After a moment they hear Claire's padded footsteps and she rounds the corner, leaning on the doorframe. "You rang?"

His daughter's sarcasm only sets Nathan off even more. "What in the _hell_ is this?" He holds up the pregnancy box.

They see Claire's eyes widen for a millisecond before she returns her carefully set emotionless face. She crosses her arms and shifts her weight a bit. "What does it look like?" She blows her bangs out of her eyes.

Nathan stands up and balls his hands into fists. "Claire, we all know this is a pregnancy test. It's not Heidi's…is it yours?"

Her jaw clenches, "Why the fuck do you care?"

"Claire!" a sharp voice snaps. Angela appears from behind her granddaughter, hands clasped behind her. "Watch your language. Now," she turns to her son and daughter-in-law, "what is going on?"

"Nathan found this," Heidi holds up the pregnancy test box, "in Claire's bathroom."

Angela's head whips to her left as she glares at Claire. "What in the world are you doing with that, young lady?"

Claire tucks her hair behind her ear and shrugs nonchalantly, "Oh, you know, I just wanted to see how they worked…what do you _think_ I was doing with it?"

Nathan groans, tugging at his hair as he paces around the office. "You're seventeen years old and buying a pregnancy test? Did anyone see you? If the press found out about this—"

"Oh calm down, Nathan, no one saw me," she insists. "I wore a hat and a hooded sweatshirt."

"We didn't even know you were seeing someone," Angela says.

Claire frowns, "I'm not."

"So what," Nathan snaps, throwing his arms into the air. "You picked some random guy and just decided 'what the hell'?"

"How I spend my time and how I spend it with is none of your business, Nathan."

"Claire," Heidi says quietly, taking a hesitant step forward. "Are…are you?"

She sighs and glances around once before shaking her head, "No, the test was negative. I'm not pregnant."

"Pregnant?"

Everyone turns to the hallway where Peter is standing, half-choking on the beer he's drinking. He blinks rapidly at them before stepping into the office.

"It's nothing, Peter," Claire snaps. She shoves past him and runs up the stairs. They all heave a collective sigh as they hear her bedroom door slam shut.

"I just don't know what to do with that girl anymore," Nathan groans. He falls back onto the sofa, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Heidi rests on the arm rest, her hand placed on her collar bone as she tries to collect herself.

"Seventeen and buying a pregnancy test," Angela continues. "I never would've thought…"

"Maybe she was better off with the Bennets."

"What are you saying Nathan?" Heidi turns to her husband. "You want to send her back to Costa Verde?"

"They don't even remember her," Peter interjects, speaking out for the first time. "She belongs here, just let me talk to her."

Angela nods. "You're her favorite, Peter, she'll listen to you."

They sit in silence as Peter nods and follows after his niece. After a few painful minutes, Nathan stalks over to his liquor cabinet.

"I need a drink."

- - - - -

Claire is sitting on her bed, hugging her pillow when she hears a knock on her door. She doesn't even need to answer it to know who is on the other side. "Come in."

Peter's head peeks in for a moment before he completely enters her room. "Can I sit down?"

She nods, keeping her eyes downcast. The mattress creaks as he takes a seat in front of her. Claire lowers the pillow so it rests on her crossed legs.

Peter's lip quirks to the side, "Claire…why didn't you tell me?"

Claire bites her bottom lip and finally meets his eyes. "I wanted to make sure…"

"Hey," his hand slides up to hers, their clasped hands rest on her thigh, "you can always come to me, okay?"

She smiles softly at him, "I know that, really, I do."

They grin at each other in content silence for a minute before Peter pulls her to him, wrapping his arms around her as he leans back against her pillows. He strokes her hair and she snuggles in closer to his chest.

"Claire, if you ever think that you might _possibly_ be pregnant, I want to know," Peter whispers into her hair.

She nods, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "I know, I'm sorry. I should have told you when I first realized I was late."

His hand slides down to her stomach, his thumb stroking softly. "I thought we were being so careful…"

With a giggle, Claire shifts so she's laying fully on top of him. "We were—we are, it's just a skipped period, Peter. No big deal." She pokes his nose, "Even a _nurse_ should know that."

"Hey," he flips them so he's on top of her now, his arms on either side of her head. "What did I say about the nurse jokes?"

Claire grins, spreading her thighs so he can nestle in between them, "I remember, you're a big, strong, _manly_ nurse—who everyone is afraid of."

"And?"

She rolls her eyes, but presses a sweet kiss to his lips anyway. "And always keeps me safe."

"Damn straight," he says, his voice low and husky, before leaning in to capture her lips with his. She opens her mouth to him with a whimper, sucking lightly on his tongue. Peter slides one hand down to caress her waist.

When they pull apart for a much needed deep breath, Claire tugs up on his shirt, pulling it over his head when he sits up for her. Peter returns the favor, leaning down to press heated kisses to her neck. She clutches at his hair, taking shuddering gasps for air.

"Claire?" Peter says against her skin, his face in between her silk-covered breasts. His hot tongue slips out to trace the line of her cleavage, making her take a few breaths before she can focus again.

"Hm?"

He pulls back and brushes her hair back from her face. "I know I said I want you to be the mother of my children, but let's wait a few years before having kids, okay?"

Claire giggles, caressing his cheeks with her tiny hands. "Deal. Besides, we can use the years in between to practice."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Peter says with a grin. He leans down and kisses her softly, their previous joking manner changing to something much more serious and real. "I love you, Claire."

With a slight blush, she smiles up at him. "I love you, always," she answers, before pulling him back down to her.

- - - - -

**Author's Note: **This idea actually isn't mine. I read some book or saw some movie or something. I can't remember. Whatever, credit goes to wherever this came from.

Thanks for reading! I'd love some feedback.


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